Liberal Party apologises to NSW voters after more MPs resign over corruption allegations

Kirsty Needham State Political Editor

The state branch of the Liberal Party has issued an apology to the people of NSW for the ‘‘reprehensible’’ conduct of its politicians revealed before the Independent Commission Against Corruption.

Premier Mike Baird said the Liberals would not contest byelections in Newcastle and Charlestown, to be held on October 25, as a result.

‘‘This decision is a symbol that says we are sorry for the actions that have been seen over the past few days and weeks,’’ Mr Baird said. ‘‘We strongly believe we have forfeited our right to represent those electorates – but we will never stop delivering on those services we have committed to,’’ Mr Baird told The Sun-Herald.

A horror week for the Baird government included the resignations of two Liberal MPs from the NSW Parliament, forcing the byelections, after admitting they had accepted $10,000 in illegal cash donations in paper envelopes and lied. The number of NSW politicians suspended from the Liberal Party has swelled to eight.

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In an open letter to NSW voters, Liberals state director Tony Nutt will say on Sunday the Liberal Party apologises for the ‘‘extraordinary and reprehensible conduct of a small number of its elected representatives, members and activists’’.

Mr Baird apologised on Saturday in a letter to voters in the Hunter region, where most of the Liberal MPs named in the ICAC inquiry are based. He said he would go ‘‘house by house, suburb by suburb’’ to restore trust in his government in the Hunter, if necessary, before contesting the general election in March.

‘‘We will be back,’’ he said. ‘‘We need to get our house in order.’’

As the ICAC hearings roll on, scrutinising Liberal fund-raising and revealing schemes to solicit illegal donations from property developers at the 2011 election, the Liberals are facing a donations drought just seven months out from next year’s state election.

The ICAC will not deliver its report until December, just three months before voters go to the polls, destabilising efforts to preselect candidates in central coast and Hunter seats.

Following the ICAC’s latest revelations, Mr Baird said he was urging the expert panel that is examining election funding laws, headed by former public servant Kerry Schott, to look closely at ways to introduce full public funding.

Dr Schott has previously said she believed the High Court would find full public funding unconstitutional.

Mr Baird said: ‘‘There are challenges, but I want it considered – is there any way we can implement it?’’ The Schott review will deliver its findings sooner than the original December deadline, and other donations reform will be taken urgently, before the 2015 election, Mr Baird said.

The NSW Liberals have handed control of fund-raising and finances, at Mr Baird’s request, to former premier John Fahey, who recently retired from catching sports cheats as president of the World Anti-Doping Agency.

Mr Nutt said the Liberal Party was co-operating with the ICAC and overhauling its internal processes to ensure compliance with the law.

Mr Baird said he had spoken out against the corrosive influence of donations in his first speech to the Parliament and the revelations at the ICAC ‘‘makes me determined to change it and to change NSW politics’’.

106 comments

Who cares? This move us so the Liberal party can say they did not lose those byelections. I will begin to believe Baird et al when he does 2 things. 1- back off tearing up the last 2 km of the rail line into Newcastle City centre and 2- back away from supporting the gerrymander of Sydney City Coincil by converting the business vote to double mandatory votes. Anything other than the above is empty words in a brown paper bag, or envelope.

Commenter

Darren

Location

Sydney

Date and time

August 17, 2014, 6:35AM

Baird and his COALition cronies should be thrown out of office at the next election.

Their behaviour and incompetence in government is a disgrace and they need another long term in opposition in order to learn their lesson.

Commenter

Political Integrity

Date and time

August 17, 2014, 8:10AM

It makes sense why waste money on by elections you are going to lose. The test of character would have to said we are not contesting the 2015 election (some 6.5 months away). One would have thought contest the by election take the massive swing and the loss in 2015 and then come back in 2019 with some good local candidates. I think this decision will have effects for both state and federal Liberal parties (as the public will feel denied the opportunity to direct their opprobrium. Think when the Sports Minister resigned two years in to take a job with a leagues club- The Liberal party lost that seat (normal liberal seat) in the by election but should get it back in 2015 or 2019). As a Labor party supporter I am happy but the rational political strategist part of my brain is disappointed and thinks the Liberals are scratching for solutions. After the political downfall and mess state Labor had leading up to the 2011 election, the Liberals should have felt they had a guaranteed two terms. Why ensuring that they didn't have the same leadership/faction battles that struck the ALP they failed to look for other problems like the massive internal governance problems they have now and appeared to have since at least 2010. We may see a change of government in 2015 when for all respects we should not.

Commenter

Interesting

Location

Sydney

Date and time

August 17, 2014, 8:26AM

People are now starting to remember why the NSW LNP were previously in opposition for 16 years, as they were in most States, why we could not trust them as far as we could kick them. The only thing we need to remember, is to give the LNP the LNP "Last Number Position" on the ballot paper next election and by LNP I do mean the Lieberal National Palmer coalition.

Commenter

HFR

Date and time

August 17, 2014, 9:02AM

The ICAC revelations suggest an ingrained culture of corruption within the NSW LNP (although NSW Labor was definitely no better). It makes you wonder exactly what Barry O'Farrell knew prior to his sudden resignation. How can the system have become so bad? If Governments are serious about resolving the situation, how about introducing mandatory jail sentences for all parliamentary corruption!

Commenter

Flanders

Date and time

August 17, 2014, 9:41AM

Are you going to vote for a fair and just society at the next state election or are you going to vote for the LIE-berals and their corporate/developer crony mates ???

Commenter

Political Integrity

Date and time

August 17, 2014, 9:44AM

Another apology. What a nice bit of political spin to save themselves from a thrashing and all the bad publicity that would go with it!

Commenter

Darcy

Location

Sydney

Date and time

August 17, 2014, 9:57AM

For almost 30 years, the entirety of my voting life, I have said that the only thing worse than the NSW Labor Party is the NSW Liberal Party. Now, just as I am about to earn my just reward by being hailed as a prophet by everyone I know, we have Tony and Joe proving that it is actually possible to be worse than anything that NSW politics has to offer. Gutted.

Commenter

Party Stooge

Date and time

August 17, 2014, 10:05AM

I'm still trying to get over the audacity of trying to eliminate a political opponent, Clover Moore, in the City of Sydney elections, by giving non-residents the right to vote. What happened to the democratic principle of one person one vote. Bruce Baird is proposing that people that own businesses in the City can vote in their own residential electorate and in their place of business also. I know the Liberal Party are run by Big Business but that is undemocratic and ridiculous.

Commenter

Darcy

Location

Sydney

Date and time

August 17, 2014, 10:18AM

Political Integrity - so what party do you think will deliver a fair and just society? Not the Libs, not Labor, so that leaves the Greens. I see them as a part of protest only, but maybe if given the opportunity it will put their policies to the test. I suspect it would all end in tears. Maybe we should take this opportunity to do away with State Governments altogether.

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